Watc h - plate



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

D. HARRINGTON. WATCH PLATE.

No. 580,046. Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

Inventor.

,D. Han-51 7? Witnesses:

Attorneys.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. HARRINGTON. WATCH PLATE. No. 580,046. Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

Inventor.

A t torn eyS (No Model.)

D. HARRINGTON.

WATCH PLATE.

3 Sheets-8heet 3.

Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

m5 NORRIS Pitta cc. wmaumm WASNMGYDN, o c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID HARRINGTON, OF XVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATC H PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,046, dated April 6, 1897. Application filed July 12, 1895. Serial No. 555,708 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID HARRINGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chronometric Construction, of which the following is a specification.

The aim of this invention is to improve chronometric construction either in watchwork or in any train of similar gearing.

To this end the invention consists of the improvements herein described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended to this specification.

My inventions are especially applicable to watch constructions; and to enable any person skilled in the art to which my improvements appertain to construct and use the same I will describe the same as applied to two of the ordinary forms of watches.

Referring to the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a watch-train with a cylinder-escapement with my improvements applied thereto. a similar view of a watch-train with a leverescapement with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the relief that I may us for the mainspring. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base or plate which is used in the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 to 11, inclusive, are detail views of the bridge that I preferably use to carry the balance-wheel. tail views of the bridge that I use to support the third, fourth, and fifth staves or shafts. Figs. 14 and 15 are similar views of a modification. Figs. 16, 17, and 18 are detail views of a further modification. Figs. 19 and 20 are detail views of the bridge that I preferably use to carry the barrel or mainspring. Figs. 21 and 22 are detail views of the bridge that I preferably use to carry the center staff; and Figs. 23 to 25, inclusive, are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of adjusting one of the bridge-pieces that is preferably used for supporting either the third, fourth, or fifth staff.

My improvement-relates to a novel way of mounting the staves which carry the gears and pinions. There are two ways now com- Fig. 2 is Figs. 12 and 13 are de inonly practiced of mounting the hearings or v jewels of the staves of a watch. The first is to arrange the jewels or bearings of each stafi in two plates. The second way is to mount one of the jewels or bearings of each staff in a plate and the other jewel or bearing in a bridge-piece. Thefirst arrangement, as described, permits of no adjustment between the staves, so that the gears and pinions can be properly meshed, or depthened, as itis technically called. Neither does the same permit of any adjustment axially, so that the staff can be set to run properly or to adjust what is technically known as end shake. In some watches made under the second construction the bridges may be set in various positions on the plate, but this only allows an adjustment of one of the bearings of each staff and does not insure the staves being keptin line. The common way of adjusting end shake in either of these constructions is to hammer, or bump,as it is called in the art, either the plate or the bridge. This obviously is a cut-andtry method and depends upon the skill of the adjuster for its result.

The common way of depthening in watchmaking, if adjustment is required, is to plug and then redepth. These methods of adj ustment require adjusters who are exceedingly skilled in the art and such extremely accurate and nice machinery for so making the parts that when the watches are assembled little adjustment will be required. As distinguished from these old ways of making watches I mount the jewels or bearings of each staff of the watch that has two bearings in the two arms of a double bridge. Thus each staff with its gear and pinion or whatever the same carries can be placed in thebridge and these parts made in quantities. I preferably use for a plate a disk which is simply stamped out, and the bridges are so arranged that they can be set approximately on this disk, and then the gearing or train adjusted so as to get proper depthening, and then the arms of. the bridges adjusted so that each stad' will have proper end shake. This greatly simplifies and cheapens watch construction and watch adjustment.

The adjuster or setter-up of a watch made according to my inventions will have to simply put the bridges in place on the plate and then adjust the same to get the proper operation, and this adjustment can be effected in one form of my device by merely turning screws. It will also be seen that my construction is very cheap, as the bearings or jewels and the various parts are very accessible as mounted in the bridges, and the parts can be assembled and the fittings largelycompleted before the watch is put together.

Referring now to the drawings, I will describe the specific construction which I have shown to illustrate the application of my inventions.

A represents the base or plate, which can be stamped out of metal and which may have the usual downward ly-extendin g flange (1 and the outwardly-extending flange a, whereby the same can be inserted and held in the watchcase in the usual manner.

B represents the barrel-wheel, C the center wheel, D the third Wheel, E the fourth wheel, F the escapement-wheel, and G the balance-wheel, of any of the usual watchtrains. These gears C, D, E, and F are mounted on the usual staves, which also carry the usual pinions by which the gears are meshed together in the Well-understood manner.

In Fig. 1 I have shown my improvements as applied to what is known as a cylinderescapement in which the eseapement-wheel meshes directly into a cylinder carried on the staff of the balance-wheel. In Fig. 2 I have shown my invention as applied to a leverescapement in which a lever L is used between the escapement-wheel and the staff of the balance-wheel. These parts are of the ordinaryconstruction and require no detailed description.

The way I preferably mount and arrange the barrel-gear is as follows, and reference, to understand this description, should be had to the first sheet and to Figs. 19 and 20: The barrel-gear 13 carries the usual barrel 30, and these parts are mounted upon the usual staff 31, which carries the usual ratchet-wheel 32, engaging which is the usual pawl 33, controlled by a spring 34.

M represents the mainspring, which is arranged in the barrel 30. One end of the mainspring is secured to the shaft 31 in the usual manner, and the other or free end of the mainspring is bent back upon itself and fits into the bent end 35 of the friction-spring 36, which is arranged in the barrel 30 and is coiled in the same direction as the mainspring. The friction-spring 36 has sufficient friction or tension on the sides of the barrel 30 to allow the mainspring to be wound up in the usual manner, either by key or stem, but when the mainspring is wound tothe desired tension the friction-spring 36 will slip or turn in the barrel 30, thus preventing the mainspring from being broken or the parts from being disarranged.

By coiling the friction-spring in the same direction as the mainspring it is to be noted that the tension of the mainspring will tend to draw the friction-spring away from and out of engagement with the barrel, and as the tension of the mainspring increases the pressure of the friction-spring upon the barrel, and hence its friction, will decrease.

17 represents the bridge-piece in which I mount this barrel construction. This bridge consists of a piece of metal which is bent to have a top arm 38, an end arm 39, and an under arm 40, and these arms 38 and 40 carry the bearings or jewels SO and 400 for the staff 31. Also extending down from the top arm 38 are side wings 41, which when the bridge is in place rest upon the base A and thus provide a strong box-like construction. The other end of the top arm 38 is bent down at the end, as at 42, under, as at 43, and is provided with side arms 44, thus providing a similar box-like construction at the righthand end of the bridge. Pins are placed in the base-plate A, so that this bridge can be accurately positioned thereon, and screws 46 and 47 are used, passing through the boxlike ends of the bridge, to hold the same to the plate. by screwing down on the screws 46 and 47 the top of the bridge 38 may be slightly adjusted relatively to the bottom wing 40, so that end shake on the staff 31 can be adjusted. If desired, the usual top bridge 1') may be mounted on the top arm 38 and held in place by the usual screws b The bridge 1) forms a strong light part in which the barrel and spring can be nicely mounted.

I mount the center stafi ina bridge 0, somewhat similar in construction and which is shown in detail in Figs. 21 and 22. This bridge consists of a top arm 48, which has suitable wings 49, bentdown at its left-hand end, as shown. When the bridge is in position on the plate, these wings do not bodily rest upon the plate, but only the outside edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 22. The object of this constructionis to providea strong and box-like support at this end of the bridge, and still a construction which will permit of up-and-down adjustment of the top wing. When the top wing is adjusted down, the side arms will spring slightly outwardly. This operation is shown in Figs. 8 and 10 in connection with another bridge, which will be hereinafterdescribed. This is the operation of all the side arms of the bridges which I will hereinafter describe as having only the point-s of the side wings resting on the baseplate when the bridge is in position. The other end of the bridge is bent down to form an end part 50 and a bottom part 51. The hearings or jewels for the center staff are formed or mounted in these arms 48 and 51. The bridge also has wings 52 at its right-hand end, which are bent down to solidly rest on the plate. Screws 53 and 5t are passed through theends of this bridge, as shown, and, if desired, pins 55 may be secured in the plate or base A, so that this bridge can be always set in the same position. It will be seen that by adjusting the left-hand screw 5f the top arm 48 of this bridge can be adjusted relatively to the bottom arm 51, and thus end shake can be readily adjusted on the center statt.

I find that it isnot necessary in practice to make any lateral adjustment between the bridges I) and c to get proper mesh between the barrel-gear and center pinion, this mesh is comparatively large and can be properly determined by the pins before referred to.

The staff of the center gear is carried through the base in the ordinary manner to carry the minute-hand, the ordinary reducing'gear being placed on the under side of the disk to drive the hrimr-hand, which is mount ed on a quill on said staff in the usual manner, not necessary to describe at length.

The bridges d, which carry the stavcs of the third,fourth,aml tit'th gears, are substantially the same in construction, and a description of one in detail will sutticc. The preferred form of this bridgeis shown in detail in Figs. 12 and 13. The same consists etc-shaped pieces, preferably, though not necessarily, made of one piece of metal, thus forming a top arm 54;, an end arm 57, and an under arm 58. In the laterally-extending top and bottom arms the jewels or bearings 5S0 torthe st a If are mounted. The bridge is held in place on the base by a screw 50. Mounted on this screw is an eccentric an ill U0,which hasa head (3]. This eccentric quill tits in slots 61?, cut in the lateral arms, as shown. The quill is so arranged that the bottom of the same will clear the base A. A pin (53 is secured in the base A, and the same tits in a hole punched in the lower arm, and the top arm rests against this pin. The way this bridge is put on the base-plate is as follows: The staff is put in the lateral arms of the bridge, and then the bridge with this staff is placed on the pin (33. Then by adjusting the eccentric quill (it) the bridge can be swung around the pin laterally to adjust the gearing into proper mesh. \Yhen this is done, the screw 5.) is used to clamp the device in place. The normal position of the arms relatively to the top of the pin (51 is shown in Fig. 23. When the screw is screwed down to clamp the bridge in its adjusted position, the ends of the twoarms (it; and 58 will be brought closer together, as shown in Fig. 2t, so that the bemings or jewels will tightly engage the ends or shoulders of the staff. To now get the desired proper end shake, the screw is turned down still tighter. This will cause the upper arm 56 to pivot about the top of the pin 63, and thus to relieve the journals or jewels, so that the staff can be set to properly run. Also it will be seen that this adjustment is obtained by setting the screw 59 still tighter, so that the bridge will be very tightly held in place. A modified construction of this bridge is shown in Figs. 1t and In this construction I do away with the eccentric quill and run the screw through slots (it, cut in the bridge, and these slots are wide enough to permit of lateral play on the pin, so that the proper depthening can be obtained by adjusting the bridge around the pin by hand, and then the screw used to clamp and adjust, as before described. A still further modification is shown in Figs. 16, 17, and 18. In this modification I use side wings as, extending down from the top arm,as shown, the points of which side wings rest on the base A, so that by setting the screw the top arm can be adjusted relatively to the lower arm. The screw in this modification is arranged in a slot cut in the bridge, as shown, but this screw tightly engages the sides of this slot. A slot 17 is cut in the bottom arm, and fitting therein is a small eccentric us, which is mounted on a shaft with a screw-head 00. Thus by turning this shaft the bridge can be pivoted about the screw 59, and, if desired, the entire bridge can be slid forward and baekwardend wise by hand on the eccentric and screw. The preferred form of bridge construction, however, is shown in Figs. 12 and 13 or Figs. It and 15, and the same constitutes a very simple and efficient bridge, which has a very simple adjustment, and which may be very securely clamped in place,asbefore described.

The staff of the fourth gear is carried through the base in the usual manner, and has the second-hand mounted thereon.

If my improvements are applied to a lever watch, as shown in Fig. 9, a bridge (1, similar to the bridges d 0, previously described, is used for mounting the lever.

The balance-wheel st atf is mounted in a bridge {,I, as is shown in detail in 1 to 11, inclusive.

1 representsthe stal'fof the balance-wheel. This staff is mounted in bridge g, which has a top arm 7 an end arm 71, and a bottom arm 72, and in the laterally-extending arms and 72 the bearings or jewels 700 and 720 are arranged. The top arm also may have side wings 73, which extend down to have the points thereof bear on the base A, as shown in Fig. 10. A slot 74: is cut in the lower arm, and fitting into this slot is a pin 75, set in the base. A screw 76 is passed through the bridge, and the same carries an eccentric 77, with a head 78, similar to the eccentric shown in Figs. 12 and 13. By means of this eccentric the bridge may be pushed forward and backward about the pin 75, and thus the proper adj ustment of the escapement can be obt ained,and by adjustingthe screw 76 the top arm can be adjusted relativelyto the bottom arm to get the proper-end shake on the staff g. The top arm also has an extending piece 79, to which the end of the hair-spring can be seen red, and the usual bush 80 may be mounted in the top arm and the setting-lever S1 pivoted thereon. Thus itwill be seen that I have provided a watch in which the parts are very strongly secured in position and an arrangement by which adjustment can be easily obtained in almost every direction.

The way my watch is preferably set up is as follows: The staves are set in their proper bridges, and the bridges carrying the barrelgear and center pinion are first set in place and rigidly secured to the base. The bridge carrying the third staff is then secured to the base and the proper mesh obtained, and then the staff adjusted to properly run. The bridges carrying the fourth and f1 fth staves are then set in place and adjusted in the same manner, and if the watch has a lever-escapemcnt the lever is then set and adjusted in the same manner, and the balance-wheel is lastly set in place. \Vith this arrangementa watch can be Very accurately and rapidly assembled and adjusted.

As before stated, the bridges and their stayes can be made and assembled in large quantities and many of the parts of the watch put together before the entire watch is assembled.

lVhile I have shown each bridge as preferably made of one integral piece of metal bent to the desired shape, it is of course within the scope of my invention to make the same up of separate pieces of metal secu red together as desired.

I have used the term bearing or jewel throughout this specification because the number of jewels that are used in the watch depends upon the quality of the watch, and of course the ends of the staff can be simply set in bearings in the arms of the bridges, or jewels can be set in the arms of the bridges, as desired.

The details and arrangements as herein described may be further carried out by a skilled watchmaker without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bridge for chronometric construction, comprising end and laterally-extending top and bottom arms, the lateral arms carrying bearings or jewels for a staff, and means for adjusting the bridge bodily to obtain proper depthening of the gearing, substantially as described.

2. In a chronometric construction, the combination of a base, a bridge comprising end and laterallycntending top and bottom arms mounted thereon, the lateral arms supporting or carrying a staff, means for adjusting the top arm relatively to the bottom arm to adjust end shake of the staff, and means for adjusting the bridge to obtain proper mesh of the gear, substantially as described.

3. A bridge for chronometric construction, comprising end and laterally-extending top and bottom arms, the lateral arms carrying a staff, and side wings extending down from the top lateral arm substantially as described.

4. The combination of a base or plate, a bridge mounted thereon and comprising end and laterally-extending top and bottom arms which carry or support the staff, a pin passing through the lower arm, and against which the top arm bears, and a screw bearing on the top arm for clamping the bridge in place, and moving or pivoting the top arm about the top of the pin to adjust the ends of the arm to regulate end shake of the staff carried by the lateral arm, substantially as de scribed.

5. The combination of a base, a bridge mounted thereon comprising end and laterally-extending top and bottom arms which support the staff, a pin passing through the lower arm ,a screw passing through the bridge, and an eccentric quill mounted on the screw, substantially as described.

(3. The combination of a base, a bridge mounted thereon comprising end and laterally-extending top and bottom arms which support the staff, a pin secured in the base and passing through the bottom arm and supporting the top arm, a screw passing through the bridge, and an eccentric quill mounted on the screw, substantially as described.

7. A bridge for ehronometric construction, comprising end and laterally-extending top and bottom arms, which support or carry the staff, and side wings or arms extending down from the top arm, and so arranged that the points thereof will bear on the base, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID IIARRIXG"ON.

W itnesscs:

lnimr W. SoUTHoA'rn, Louis XV. StW'lHGA'l'E. 

